England cricketing stars have welcomed the ECB’s decision to hold nationwide tape ball cricket tournament, a form of cricket which originated in the streets of Karachi, Pakistan in the 60s.

The casual form of cricket first spread to other towns and cities of Pakistan and then, thanks to the Pakistani diaspora community, made it to other parts of the world, now played by millions around the globe.

Though tape ball cricket has been played in England for many years as a recreational sport by British Pakistanis and other South Asian communities like Pakistan, competitions of tape ball cricket are organised throughout the UK specially on summer weekends.

But this is the first time the format has got some sort of official recognition.

The announcement by the England and Wales Cricket Board was made in Birmingham during a showcase tape ball cricket event full of vibrant music, food, and entertainment.

A former gas factory in Birmingham’s Digbeth area was transformed to mark the event and also to celebrate the culture of Pakistan and South Asia.